Teaching Degrees in Connecticut

The four largest colleges in Connecticut have Connecticut teaching license programs that award the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education or education studies, for both pre-K through 12th grade. By attending these schools, teaching candidates seeking a Connecticut teacher license can know that they are complying with the regulations of the State of Connecticut that require teachers with subject proficiency, pedagogical course work, classroom internships with master teachers, and constant professional development toward best teaching practices.

Ranked #2 by U.S. News & World Report, Fairfield University scores high among Northeast universities due to its 88% freshman retention rate, with 80% graduating after four years. The education programs at Fairfield are unique, due to their interdisciplinary focus with other departments and subjects. This helps them show compliance with state education goals for the creation of a program of Connecticut teacher education that the state needs for future growth. Fairfield’s reputation for training teachers has translated into excellent job placement in Connecticut school districts.

The desire for social justice characterizes Connecticut College, which U.S. News & World Report showcases as an educational institution with one of the best four-year graduation rates in the region (84%), a high percentage of women at the college, and the ease of financial ability to live on campus. The education department makes it their mission to promote social change through education. A big plus of this program among the other teaching schools in Connecticut is the quality of the course work that candidates complete. The pedagogical training demonstrates teaching certification that is reciprocal and accepted in 46 other U.S. states.

Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University is a private university that boasts a 12:1 student-to-professor ratio. U.S. News & World Report also gives high marks for its affordability to live on campus and its graduation rates. In the School of Education, people interested in Connecticut teacher certification can earn it two ways, either as an undergraduate or in a post-baccalaureate setting. Undergraduates are immersed in a five-year program with an internship component where they work alongside a master teacher until they are given the chance to teach classes on their own.